With bike rallies and processions, the three-week-long lustreless and incident-free election campaign for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for Thursday came to an end on Tuesday, much to the relief of the officials here.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam candidate S. Michael Rayappan’s final election campaign bike rally started from Pettai and culminated at Tirunelveli Junction via Thatchanallur.
The AIADMK candidate P. H. Paul Manoj Pandian, accompanied by the party cadres, took out a procession from Vannarpet to MGR statue at Kokkirakulam.
DMK’s S. Gnanathiraviam, after campaigning along the Car Streets around Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, concluded the election campaign.
In Tenkasi (Reserved) segment, AMMK candidate S. Ponnuthai campaigned at Paavoorchathram and concluded the campaign at Tenkasi while DMK’s Dhansuh M. Kumar’s electioneering culminated at Srivilliputhur. Puthiya Thamizhagam founder and candidate of AIADMK-led combine K. Krishnasamy’s electioneering came to an end at Sankarankovil.
In neighbouring Kanniyakumari, Congress cadre took out a bike rally from Vaeppamoodu Junction to Vadaserry along with party candidate H. Vasanthakumar while BJP’s Pon. Radhakrishnan’s electioneering ended at Manimaedai with a bike rally.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, along with party candidate Lekshmanan, organised a bike rally from Ramanpudhur to Chettikulam Junction.
While the DMK-led combine tried to capitalise on the “scams and failures” of both the AIADMK and the BJP governments in the State and at the Centre like gutka, unemployment, GST, demonetisation, Rafale deal etc., the AIADMK harped mainly on “stable government” theory dotted with “national security”.
The AMMK’s main targets were Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam, who were held responsible for the “pathetic condition” of Tamil Nadu.
Leaders of almost all the political parties including Mr. Palaniswami, O. Pannerselvam, DMK’s M.K. Stalin, MDMK’s Vaiko, CPI (M)’s K. Balakrishnan, Makkal Neethi Maiyam’s actor Kamal Haasan and BJP’s Piyush Goyal campaigned in Tirunelveli district.
At the same time, Kanniyakumari attracted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned before the Lok Sabha election was notified. However, Congress president Rahul Gandhi campaigned at Nagercoil even before the party released its candidates’ list.
Since the cadre of political parties have failed to come in large number as before for election campaigns addressed by star campaigners and the leaders, parties had to rely on the ‘regional leaders’ of self-help groups to mobilise the crowd that melted away in no time as the leaders left the spot.
The sweltering heat prevailing across the district had a telling impact on the electioneering as the candidates had to avoid their campaign between 12 noon and 4 p.m.
Though the public and the political parties alerted the officials about ‘poll code violations’ in their areas through 1950 or cVigil mobile app most of the complaints were found to be false.